Collapsible storage unit

ABSTRACT

THE INVENTION CONCERNS A COLLAOSIBLE STORAGE UNIT,COMPRISING A RIGID FRAME SURROUNDING THE ACESS OPENING OF SAID UNIT AND A BAG OF FLEXIBLE, BUT SUBSTANTIALLY NONSTRETCHABLE MATERIAL, THE EDGE OF WHICH IS ATTACHED TO SAID FRAME. AT LEAST TWO U-FORMED STRETCHING MEMBERS ARE SO MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME THAT THEY ARE SWINGABLE FROM A POSITION IN PLANE WITH SAID FRAME INTO A POSITION MAINLY PERPENDICULAR THERETO. IN THE LAST MENTIONED POSITION THE STRETCHING MEMBERS KEEP SAID BAG IN A TAUT CONDITION IN ORDER TO FORM THE BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS OF SAID UNIT. A RIGID BOARD IS FURTHERMORE INSERTABLE BETWEEN SAID STRETCHING MEMBERS TO MAINTAIN SAME IN THE LAST MENTIONED POSITIONED.

July 11, 1972 F. B. E. MALLANDER COLLAPSIBLE STORAGE UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Filed Jan. 22, 1970 INVENTOR.

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COLLAPSIBLE STORAGE UNIT Filed Jan. 22, 1970 Z Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR.

01 57,965? AMA 0,52 M444 amt-e kw r-JW United States Patent 6 Int. (:1.A47b 45/00,- E04h 1/12, 1/14 US. Cl. 312-257 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE The invention concerns a collapsible storage unit, comprisinga rigid frame surrounding the access opening of said unit and a bag offlexible, but substantially nonstretchable material, the edge of whichis attached to said frame. At least two U-formed stretching members areso mounted in said frame that they are swingable from a position inplane with said frame into a position mainly perpendicular thereto. Inthe last mentioned position the stretching members keep said bag in ataut condition in order to form the bottom and side walls of said unit.A rigid board is furthermore insertable between said stretching membersto maintain same in the last mentioned position.

The present invention is a collapsible storage unit consisting of aframe surrounding an opening, a bottom board of roughly the same shapeand size as the frame, plus side walls between the frame and the bottomboard.

Modern furniture industry goes in for more and more prefabricatedfurniture. What is meant by prefabricated furniture is that all parts ofthe item are manufactured and partly assembled in the factory in easilypacked units which are delivered to the retailer or consumer in unitpackages. Simple means are enclosed to facilitate final assembly so thatthis can be done easily and with simple tools by a customer with nospecial do-it-yourself experience. This system implies considerablesavings in transport costs and storage area.

This system has not yet, however, proved suitable for furniture withdrawers or similar storage facilities, as drawers cannot be made so thata customer can without difficulty assemble its various parts. As thedrawers must be transported and stored assembled there is no greatadvantage in having pieces of furniture with sets of drawers inprefabricated form, as there is little to be won in transport orstorage.

The invention overcomes this disadvantage, mainly by aid of a bag ofpliable but non-stretchable material, which is fixed to the frame andforms the above mentioned bottom and side walls and by at least twoU-fornEd stnetching members attached to the frame so as to be swingablefrom a position flush with the frame to one perpendicular thereto,whereupon the stretching members hold the bag stretched and taut. Atleast one rigid board can furthermore be inserted between the stretchingmembers to hold them in the latter position.

3,675,981 Patented July 11, 1972 The rigid board can either be placedparallel with the frame, lying on the bottom portion of the bag being ofthe same shape and size as same, or it can be placed at to the frame,parallel with one side wall of the bag and be of generally the sameshape and size as this side Wall. In this way, the storage unit can beshaped to form either a box or a cabinet.

The frame is preferably rectangular and the U-formed stretching membersare mounted in the short sides of the frame, adjacent to the long sidesthereof, whereby each stretching member preferably comprises a middlesection of roughly the same length as the frame side parallel to it, andan end section at both ends of the middle section, both end sectionsbeing of about the same length as the height of the cooperating sidewall.

When the unit is formed as a box, at least a couple of parallel framesides can have grooves, flanges or the like so that, with skid rails,the unit can be used as a drawer. In such a case it is best to provideat least one of the remaining frame sides with mounting means for adrawer front.

When the unit is formed as a cabinet, the middle sections of theU-formed stretching members and the frame sides parallel to these can beprovided with a number of opposing holes to permit the mounting of shelfbrackets to support the rigid board or boards at various heights. Inthis embodiment it can also be suitable to provide the middle sectionsof the stretching members and the frame sides parallel to same withextensions on which the unit can rest in an upright position as acabinet. A door for closing the unit can be hung on hinges on one of theframe sides parallel to the said middle sections.

In order that the walls formed by the bag shall be really taut when setup, the bag is of flexible but non-stretchable material, having roughlythe same form as the assembled unit. The bag can preferably be made offabric, galloon, coated fabric or the like.

Some embodiments of units, according to the invention, will be describedin detail, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which FIG. 1 is aperspective view of a drawer, according to the invention, FIG. 2 is apartial view in perspective of the drawer illustrated in FIG. 1, whenassembled. FIGS. 3a-c are sections through the line IIIIII in FIG. 2 ofthree different modifications, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the unit,when formed as a cabinet and FIG. 5 is a partial section view along theline VV in FIG. 4.

The unit, according to FIGS. 1-3, includes a rigid frame 1, which ispreferably rectangular, and a bag 2, of a flexible but non-stretchablematerial. The bag 2 is, for example, of fabric, leathercloth,fabric-backed plastic or similar material and by way of suitable cuttingand sewing, bonding, sticking or similar methods it is so formed thatthe size and shape thereof correspond to that of the assembled storageunit. The free edge 2 round the opening of the bag 2 is fixed to theframe 1. The edge 2' can for instance be fixed to the frame by beingformed as a hem through which the side pieces of the frame can run asper FIG. 3a, or by being stuck or riveted directly to the outer or innersurface of the frame as per FIG. 3b or 30.

Two U-formed stretching members 3, 4 are swingably mounted in the frame1, preferably with an extension parallel with each long side thereof 1,and are journalled in the short sides of the frame near to the cornersformed with the respective long sides. Each members 3, 4 consists of amiddle section 3 and 4, respectively, which by the parallelepipedic boxshown extends parallel to the plane of the frame 1, and an end section3" and 4" at each of the middle section 3' and 4' and perpendicularthereto. The end sections 3" and 4" have a length corresponding to thedesired depth of the box and their free ends are journalled in theopposite short sides of the frame 1. In the illustrated embodiment,where the stretching members 3 and 4 are of some suitable metal rod, themounting is provided by the free ends of the end section 3" and 4" whichare bent at 90 and inserted in corresponding holes in the two oppositeshort sides of the frame. At least the middle sections 3' and 4' couldalso be L-shaped, the apex being turned outwards when the members areset up. The members are then mounted on a rivet through the side of theframe and the end section 3" or 4" of the stretching member.

The drawer-shaped unit also includes a rigid board 6 of blockboard,plywood, cardboard or the like, having generally the same shape and sizeas the area to be enclosed by the frame 1.

During transport and storage the stretching members 3 and 4 are foldedinto plane with the frame 1 as denoted by the dotted lines in FIG. 2,the bag 2 being folded so that the frame 1 and members 3 and 4 and thebag 2 together with the rigid board 6, can be packed relatively flat.When assembling the unit as shown, the stretching members 3 and 4 areswung out to a position roughly 90 to the frame and are thereby insertedinto the bag 2 so that this is unfolded and stretched as shown withsolid lines in FIG. 2. The rigid board 6 is then inserted through theframe 1 into the space enclosed by the bag 2 and pressed down betweenthe end sections 3 and 4" of the stretching members 3 and 4, intoengagement with their middle sections 3' and 4. The members are thuspressed outwards and stretch the bag 2 so that the sides and bottomformed by same are tightly stretched. The members 3 and 4 and the bag 2are held in this position by the tightly fitting rigid board '6.

By the shown embodiment, in which the stretching members 3 and 4 aremade of metal rod, the rigid board 6 is suitably provided with cornerrecesses 7 to accommodate the end sections 3" and 4 of the stretchingmembers 3 and 4. When the stretching members as a whole-or only theirmiddle sections-are made of L-shaped metal with the apex pointingoutwards when the bag is stretched, no such recesses are required.

FIGS. 3a-c show diflerent profiles suitable for the frame sides andsuitable ways of attaching the edges 2' of the bag 2 to the frame 1. InFIG. 3a, the frame is made of rectangular tubing and the bag edge 2 isfolded over it, with the free edge attached to the sides of the bag by awelded seam or similar seam so that a hem is formed, through which theframe tubing may run. In the modification illustrated in FIG. 3b atleast two parallel frame sides are L-shaped, and the horizontal flangesare back to back and form skid rails for the unit when it is to befor-med as a drawer. In this modification, the bag edge 2' is fixed tothe outside of the vertical flange by adhesive or rivets.

In the third alternative, illustrated in FIG. 30, the frame is made ofwood, metal or plastic with a groove along the outer side of at leasttwo parallel frame sides so that the storage unit together with skidrails can be used as a drawer. The edge of the bag 2' is drawn over theinside of the frame and over its upper side, thus forming a very sturdyjoint, the bag being protected from the wear that can be caused bypulling the drawer in and out.

It is also convenient to provide at least one of the frame sidesperpendicular to the sliding means with means for mounting of a drawerfront.

In the embdiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the storage unit forms acabinet. This embodiment also includes a rigid frame 8 which surroundsthe opening and a bag 9 of flexible but non-stretchable material whichis fixed to the frame 8 all around its edge. A couple of parallelstretching members 10 and 11 are attached to the frame 8 at its corners,and are swingable from a position in the same plane as the frame 8 to aposition at thereto. In the latter position the members 10, 11 stretchout the bag 9 so that a back wall or bottom, two side walls, a top andperhaps a bottom are formed. Each member consists of a middle section10' and 11, running parallel to and having the same length as a frameside and of end sectons 10" and 11", forming a 90 angle with the middlesection, and having a length corresponding to the depth of the cabinet.

The unit also comprises a number of rigid boards 12 which can beinserted in the space enclosed by the bag 9 at a 90 angle to both theframe 8 and the swung out members 10 and 11.

The middle sections 10' and 11 of the stretching members 10 and 11, andthe frame sides parallel to these are also at one end provided withextensions 14 which extend a little from the space enclosed by the bag 9and form feet for the cabinet-type unit.

The frame sides fitted with extensions 14 and the middle sections 10'and 11 of the stretching members are also fitted with a number ofopposing holes in which shelf brackets 15 may be inserted. The stiffplates 12 are intended in the inserted position to rest on these shelfbrackets 15 and form shelves in the cabinet, and can thus be placed atvarious heights by moving the shelf brackets to different holes. Theplates 12 also have (at least in the corners facing the back of thecabinet) recesses 16 to receive the middle sections 10 and 11' of themembers 10 and 11, which are best made of tube material.

With such a construction, it may be suitable to omit the side of the bag9 facing downwards so that the extensions 14 can freely extend out ofthe space enclosed by the bag 9. One of the stiff plates 12 should thenbe placed on a level with the bottom transverse side of the frame 8 toform a bottom of the cabinet. It is, however, also possible to equipthis side of the bag with openings for the extensions 14.

One of the frame sides parallel to the middle sections 10' and 11 canalso be fitted with a hinge mechanism for a door 17 for closing thecabinet. The opposite frame side can then be fitted with a lock.

By means of the construction described above and defined in the enclosedclaims, a storage unit is attained which is both collapsible and easilydismantled so that it can be packed and stored without requiring muchspace. From a collapsible state, the unit can Without difficulty andwithout the use of tools, be set up to form a surprisingly stable unit.

The invention, is however, not limited to the alternatives describedabove, but can be modified in many ways within the outline of theenclosed patent claims.

What I claim is:

1. A collapsible unit comprising a substantially rectangular frame, abag of flexible material having a bottom panel and two pairs of opposedside panels, said panels together defining a substantiallyparallelepipedal space open at one side, said open side havingsubstantially the same size and shape as said frame, at least twoextending members each of substantially the same size and shape as theside panels of one of said panel pairs and being attached to the insideof said frame for swinging movement about an axis parallel to the framemember to which said side panel is attached from a collapsed position inthe plane of said frame through substantially 90 to an extended positionsubstantially at 90 thereto, the swinging axis of one said extendingmember being situated adjacent to each one of the opposed side panels ofsaid panel pair, at least one stiif board retaining said extendingmembers in said extended positions, said board being disposed betweensaid extending members and urging said extending members againstadjacent side panels of said bag at the border lines between said sidepanels and said bottom panel, whereby said bag is extended and the sidepanels and bottom panel thereof are held taut by said extending memberswhich in turn are held extended by said board.

2. A unit as claimed in claim 1, said rigid board being parallel to theplane of the frame and comprising the bottom of the unit.

3. A unit as claimed in claim 1, said rigid board being disposed atright angles to the plane of the frame.

4. A unit as claimed in claim 1, said extending members being U-shapedand having straight midportions of substantially the same length as theadjacent side of said frame.

5. A unit as claimed in claim 1, said board being rectangular and havingrecesses in at least the corners thereof with said extending membersdisposed in said recesses.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/ 1892 Barrett 312-6 4/ 1928Isoyama 312-630 U X 5/19'54 La Voy 312-5 12/1966 Munroe 312-258 FOREIGNPATENTS 12/ 1912 Great Britain 312-6 1948 Great Britain 312-6 1 0/ 1922Great Britain 312330 12/1963 France 3126 12/1963 France 312-6 US. Cl.X.R.

